Handheld lawn tending devices, such as gasoline powered weed trimmers, leaf blowers, edgers, and the like, have found popularity among both homeowners and commercial providers of lawn maintenance services. Such devices, however, are often heavier than their electrically powered counterparts. The weight of such gasoline powered devices tends to be centered proximate to the handle area, in part, in order to provide some measure of comfort in their use.
Notwithstanding the design of the lawn tending device, the operator usually must remain in a standing and upright position in order to perform work using the device. Additionally, the operator is required to hold the device away from his body and maneuver the device in a generally sweeping manner. The vibration of the device, its weight, and thereby its inertia, combined with the sweeping motion often used in maneuvering the device, along with the extended length of time typically required to perform the task at hand, may lead to twisting and straining of the back, general muscular fatigue, and various other harmful physical stresses.
In an attempt to minimize such physical fatigues and stresses, some such lawn tending devices are provided with means to affix a harness or shoulder strap. While the use of such harnesses and straps may provide a degree of short term relief to the operator, they still concentrate the weight and vibration of the device along the operator's back. Additionally, in order to refuel or restart the device, the device must be removed from the operator's body, set down, and finally retrieved in a bending and hoisting motion. Such maneuvers, again, put the operator at risk for physical injury or discomfort. Ultimately, such harnesses and straps are not an ideal solution to the identified problem.
In recognition of the identified problems attendant to the use of such lawn tending devices, others have provided various support structure attachments to accommodate the weight of the lawn tending device. One example of such an attachment may be seen with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,112 to Buckendorf, Jr. (Mar. 3, 1992). This attachment, however, is affixed proximate to the center of the lawn trimmer shaft. While useful for electrically powered trimmers, the weight of a gasoline powered engine is seen to tip the device toward the operator. The operator, therefore, still must bear a significant portion of the weight of the trimmer, and the maneuverability of the combination necessarily is thereby reduced. Additionally, because the position of the attachment is preferably along the approximate midline of the lawn trimmer shaft, its wheels tend to interfere with the stride of the operator as he walks alongside the device.
Another example of a useful attachment for a lawn tending device may be seen with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,142 to Maxwell (Nov. 17, 1998). This attachment, however, provides a pair of frame assemblies for attachment to the lawn trimmer. Because one of the pair of frame assemblies may be disposed approximately parallel to the ground during its normal operation, and because the attachment is dually affixed along the lawn trimmer shaft, the wheel and horizontal frame combination of the attachment, again, tend to interfere with the stride of the operator as he walks alongside the device.
Additionally, neither of the above referenced prior art attachments successfully may accommodate such other common devices as gasoline powered leaf blowers, whereby it is desirable to provide the benefits recognized hereinabove.
It is readily apparent that an improved wheeled attachment and frame assembly for affixing to a gasoline powered weed trimmer, leaf blower, edger, or other similar lawn tending device is needed to overcome the drawbacks apparent in the prior art, and to render more safe and convenient the use of the lawn tending device. It is, therefore, to the provision of such an improved wheeled attachment and frame assembly that the present invention is directed.